Transcript of “New Money (Filling the Void)”
A poem by Sekou Andrew for TEDxWallStreet
Transcribed by Project Nayuki
This year, it’s about the money
It’s about working hard enough to make dollars that afford full benefits
Ice on the wrist, filling the void between eating ramen and eating fish
It’s about earning my slice of the pie
Super size with extra fries
It’s about toasting on my success like clink and grow rich, like hard work pays off
Get my check, get my bonus
Rinse, repeat, problem solved
’cause basically, it’s about the money
This year, it’s about the money
It’s about working smart enough to make dollars while I snore
Get my cheese(?) a master’s degree in financial literacy
Teach my people(?) how to read and say grace like think(?) and grow rich
Filling the void between old money footprints and new money blueprints
Because(?) now I’ve got bigger fish to fry
Super size with extra drive
It’s about going Gandhi on my income to get it passive
Cardio my investment package and get it active
Push financial independence off the wagon to the benches and live off my interest to live out my interest
’cause my purpose being broke is too damn expensive
So basically, it’s about the money
This year, it’s about the money
It’s about working wise enough to make dollars that ensure my net worth is hereditary
Filling the void between my life expectancy and my financial legacy – like give and grow rich
Leave my kids enough fish to feast for generations
But teach them to protect the ocean to grow their fish population
Super size with extra pride
’cause real wealth is not defined by what whether I can pay for it, but whether I can pay it forward
So basically, it’s about the money
This year, it’s about the money
It’s about working consciously enough to make dollars that open doors
Filling the void between me and my local community
So I put my money where my house is, keep a local market from going south
Teach a man to get his own sea trout like fish and grow rich
’cause how sustainable is an investment in art that buys a painting for 900 grand but buries future Basquiats beneath unfunded art programs?
It’s about a double bottom line garden the whole community grows
Super size with extra chives
Organically robust with only healthy stuff
Like economic independence, savings with trust to change the haves and have-nots to the have-a-lots and have-enoughs
’cause basically, it’s about the money
This year, it’s about the money
It’s about working together to make dollars that afford a whole nation that no longer accepts the word poor
From the mountains of Utah to downtown Vegas, from Harlem’s brownstones to Alaska’s glaciers
It’s about clean water and clean power, teaching big data to be a gentle giant
Super size but extra wise
It’s about filling the void between greatest margin and affordable scale
It’s about my pockets full from collard greens
’cause my empire only eats soul food that’s nutritious and holistic
Of investments that are rich with less beef, more cheese; less grief, more ease; less multiple choice, more E) All of the above
Government organizations and corporations and foundations committed to financial innovation through collaboration
Where big business decides to occupy healthcare, banks make education too big to fail,
Congress declares the environment a sify(?), microfunding turns caregivers into breadwinners
As we take the bread out of inequality, take the dough out of politics, take the yeast out of debt
Remove the impurities from my securities to create an ocean of conscious capitalism from which we drink and grow rich
Serve and know bliss, reap but first sow this: What we have, what we give, what we teach, what we gain
This stock is the most valuable currency we could ever exchange
So basically, it’s about the money
Notes
There were words or phrases I couldn’t recognize, which are marked with “(?)”. Everything else, I’m quite sure of. Feedback and corrections are appreciated.
Punctuation and line breaking were guessed based on my interpretation.
This transcript was made without permission. I was motivated by the fact that the video performance is excellent but no written copy of this poem could be found on Google search. This text version makes the poem accessible to a wider audience.